This invention relates to apparatus for removing buried cable from the ground.
There is a huge amount of buried cable in the world. Occasionally, it becomes necessary or desirable to remove that cable, for replacement or otherwise. For example, in many parts of the world, old telephone cables are being replaced by fiber optic cables. The old cable has substantial value because of its copper content, and it is therefore highly desirable to remove it for that reason, as well as for environmental reasons.
Hitherto, there has been no truly effective way of removing substantial lengths of cable. The most common technique consists of digging a trench above the cable, using conventional trenching equipment, and then in a separate operation, digging down to the cable and lifting it out. This process is very laborious, and not much cable can be removed in the course of a day.